Lawyers representing Sheriff Joe Arpaio and two of his officers have asked a federal appeals court to set aside a federal judge's civil-contempt findings and his control over the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office internal affairs division.

The case was filed Tuesday with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Arpaio's legal team also filed a brief in the sheriff's criminal contempt case asking for a jury trial.

Arpaio was joined in the appeal by his Chief Deputy Gerard Sheridan and Lt. Joseph Sousa.

"The court has re-opened closed internal investigations of MCSO officers for the stated purpose of punishing them," the filing contends, asking for the court-appointed monitor over the internal affairs division to be removed. The brief alleges Judge Murray Snow and the court monitor have engaged in ex parte communications.

An ex parte communication is when a judge has any form of communication with a juror or other legal party about the case without the presence of the opposing party or the opposing party's attorney.

Attorneys contend that Snow conducted improper meetings and communications with the court-appointed monitor overseeing the Sheriff's Office. Communications between the judge and the monitor about the merits of the case violate federal law, the attorneys contend.

They are asking that the case be assigned to a different judge and monitor.

The appeal is rooted in a 9-year-old racial-profiling case against the Sheriff's Office. Plaintiffs, including the American Civil Liberties Union, alleged that the sheriff’s signature immigration patrols violated Latinos’ constitutional rights.

In May, Snow found Arpaio and others in civil contempt of court for prolonging his immigration patrols for 17 months after Snow ordered the office to stop. Arpaio has acknowledged the violation but stated it was not intentional.

Snow continues to preside over the civil case, monitoring the Sheriff's Office's progress on his directives.

This is the third time that Arpaio's attorneys have called for Snow to be removed from the case. A motion was filed in U.S. District Court in October. And in May 2015, attorneys for the Sheriff's Office claimed that Snow had moved from being an independent arbiter in the case into the role of investigating "issues involving his own family."

Arpaio admitted in a contempt-of-court hearing in April 2015 that his attorneys had hired a private agent to investigate comments that Snow's wife allegedly made about the judge's intent to remove Arpaio from office.